Heart Rate

Professional runners know their body's so well, they can keep tabs on multiple feedback systems rather than having to rely on just one. Once you know your body so well, the heart rate is just as distracting as it is helpful.

Steeper wrote:

Professional runners know their body's so well, they can keep tabs on multiple feedback systems rather than having to rely on just one. Once you know your body so well, the heart rate is just as distracting as it is helpful.

Then why do pro cyclists use HR so much?

I've read that Ritz uses one from time to time.

To answer your question, I'm not sure why Heart rate monitor use seems less adopted among top runners versus other endurance sports. At times, it seems to me that runners are often reluctant to adopt new technology or training methods (versus cyclists, or triathletes, etc...)

That being said, I do know that Shobukhova used a monitor regularly to train. I read an article about her training and her general training runs were listed as "at 150 HR".

Craig Mottram also uses one. There is a section in the "Healthy Intelligent Training" book where Nic Bideau describes how Mottram uses it in training.

I thought I remember Paula Radcliffe using one in her training, but I'm not sure if she did or not.

I had a picture of several US distance runners wearing HRMs at the per-Games camp leading up to 2004. They were using them to make sure they ran slowly on those days.

... some combo of: ignorance, arrogance, laziness, or stubbornness.